Spring winding device



Nov. 21, 1950 E. E. GREGORY SPRING WINDING DEVICE Filed Jan. 15, 1948 IN VEN TOR. 12; If rgory BY Patented Nov. 21, 950

UNITED STATES TENT OFFICE SPRING WINDING DEVICE Eli E. Gregory, Lewisport, Ky. Application January 15, 1948, Serial No. 2,509

This invention relates to means for forming coil springs, and particularly to springs of the character produced from wire. The primary object of the present invention is to provide a device of this character of relatively simple form, which can be manually operated, if desired, to wind springs of desired length, diameter and convolution pitch, which springs in their completed state, will be usable either as'compression, torsion. or expansion springs.

More particularly, the invention contemplates the provision of a support provided with a plurality of wire-guiding and tensioning elements through which the wire to be formed into a spring is fed; of a bushing mounted on the support and adjustable in a direction transverse to the direction of movement of the wire, said bushing serving as a bearing for a rotatable mandrel about which the wire i wound into spring formation,

and being provided with a rounded or angular nose portion acting as a deflecting means for the wire to urge the same angularly as it is wound about the mandrel and to determine the pitch of the convolutions of the resultant spring.

These and other objects are attained by the invention, a more particular description of which will hereinafter appear and be set forth in the claims appended hereto.

In the accompanying drawing, wherein an illustrative embodiment of the invention is disclosed:

Fig. 1 is a face view of the improved coil-winding device, constructed in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 2 is a View looking from the left side of Fig. 1, with the mandrel shown in section;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the bushing or wiredeflector, a portion of the same being shown in section;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4- of Fig. 3, looking in the direction of the arrows, and

Fig. 5 is a view of the device, showing how the same is operative to produce a coil spring.

Referring to the drawing, l indicates the base or support of the device. Said base or support may consist of an elongated section of flat strip metal, and the same is provided along one of its longitudinal edges with a plurality of spaced, round openings or holes 2 and 3, each of said holes having a mouth or openin 4 at the edge of the support I to facilitate the positioning of the wire to be coiled into the spring form, through them.

Near one end, the support I is formed with a channel-shaped part 5 constituting a seat for a bushing 8. said bushing 8 being clampingly held the spring to be produced. If desired, the mandrel may be manually rotated within the bushing, and to facilitate such manual rotation, a handle or crank i2 is provided on the mandrel. The man drel is thus rotatively mounted in the bushing 8 and is also axially movable through it. Provided on at least one end of the bushin 8 is a rounded nose portion ll constituting a deflecting surface against which the wire is operative, as shownin Fig. 3 to determine the angularity of feed of the wire to the mandrel and this, coupled with the feed of the mandrel l0 axially through the bushin 8 will determine the pitch of the convolutions of the formed spring.

From the foregoing, the operation of the device will be readily understood. The wire to be formed into a coil spring is supplied from a coil 1 or other source and is placed sinuously through a selected number of the guide openings 2 and 3. The Wire maybe guided through as many of these openings as desired according to the required amount of tension to be imposed on the wire. The end of the wire, after leaving the last guide hole 3, is inserted through an aperture l3 extending transversely through the mandrel Ill, and when the mandrel is rotated, either manually or mechanically, the spring M will be wound up or formed around the mandrel.

It will be observed that at a point between the last guide hole 3 and the mandrel, the wire is defiected or directed angularly by means of the rounded nose portion H of the bushing, and the extent of the deflection of the wire by this portion of the bushing determines the angularity at which the wire is presented to the mandrel and hence this, coupled with the forward thrust exerted on mandrel l0 determines the pitch of the convolutions of the resultant coil formed on the mandrel. For example, in Fig. 5, the bushing is shown in an advanced position which presents its nose portion I l at a point where the wire is deflected to such an extent as to produce spaced convolutions of extreme pitch. By shifting the position of the bushing, the extent of pitch of the convolutions can be easily regulated, an extreme adjustment in the opposite direction for example, being indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 5.

The device can be modified in various particulars and is capable of a number of different uses. For example, the mandrel H1, instead of being manually rotated by a crank as described, may be fitted in a hand or breast drill chuck, or in the chuck of a lathe, and the support i may then be supported on the bed of the lathe, and when the lathe is set in operation, the spring will be wound on the mandrel without attention on the part of the operator until the end of the mandrel is reached. By the employment of a mandrel of substantial length, a very long spring can be formed, which can subsequently be cut into short lengths as required. By the provision of a number of bushings having bores or axial passages of different diameters, and mandrels of diameter fitting the passages through the bushings, springs of various diameters may be readily made speedily and accurately.

In herein stating that the end or nose portion of the bushing 8 is rounded, I do not wish to be limited to shaping the nose portion in the particular rounded form shown, since various forms of tapered or bevelled ends on the bushing will result in a suitable deflection of the fed wire to enable the same to result in a pitch convolution of the desired degree in the finished coil spring.

Having described one embodiment of the invention, it is obvious that the same is not to be restricted thereto, but is broad enough to cover all structures coming within the scope of the annexed claims.

What I claim is:

1. A device for winding coil springs comprising, an elongated plate formed with a transversely extending recess, a bushing fitted in said recess and adjustable axially within the reces to cause one end of the bushing to be positioned adjacent to one edge of the plate, a clamp fitted over the bushing and co-operating with the recessed portion of the plate for fixedly holding the bushing in any selected position of adjustment, the bushing having a longitudinally extending axial passage constituting a bearin for a mandrel rotatively and axially movable through said passage, the plate being provided near one edge with a plurality of openings through at least some of which a wire is extended to reach and be wound about the mandrel upon rotative movement of the mandrel within the bushing, the bushing being provided with a tapered end adapted for positioning near the apertured edge of the plate and operative against the wire between the apertures and the mandrel to thereby deflect the Wire to a selected angle according to the position of said tapered end relative to the apertures while the mandrel is being rotated.

2. A device for winding coil springs as provided for in claim 1, wherein the apertures are notched to the edge of the plate to permit entry of the wire into said apertures, and the tapered end of the bushing is rounded and convex.

ELI E. GREGORY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 812,779 Ackley Feb, 13, 1906 952,582 Ritter Mar. 22, 1910. 963,512 Butterworth July 5, 1910 1,453,431 Blount May 1, 1923 1,709,707 Bragdon Apr. 16, 1929 1,767,693 Morin June 24, 1930 1,914,976 Nigro June 20, 1933 2,404,424 Balla July 23, 1946 2,446,755 Gates Aug. 10, 1948 

